Idris Elba says he plans to leave acting and focus on directing: 'It allows me to flex'

Idris Elba. Pic/AFP

English actor Idris Elba has shared that that he will leave acting gigs to focus on directing "eventually".

The actor, 53, is promoting short film Dust To Dreams, and while it may be his first venture behind the camera since 2018, he shared that is where he sees his future, rather than on screen.

Speaking at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, he said, "I'm hoping that my fan base as an actor isn't mad at me. Eventually, I want to transfer to be a director fully. I've been acting for a long time. I love it still, but I think directing allows me to flex slightly different muscles and just be a part of the set in a different way. I really enjoy it."

As per reports, Elba's next film as a director is This Is How It Goes, which is based on a 2005 film by Neil LaBute and was shot in Ghana.

He said, "The original is about a Black man married to a white woman, and a white man comes to move into their house, and it's about what happens to their relationship. I bought the rights to the film and transposed the story. So it's a white man married to a Black woman, and a Black man comes to live in their house. It's an incredible examination of marriage, trust, and race."

Elba is known for his commanding screen presence and effortless charisma. Rising to global prominence with his intense performance as Stringer Bell in The Wire (2002), he later cemented his status through roles in Luther (2010), Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013), and major Hollywood franchise like Thor, and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019).

Beyond acting, Elba is an accomplished DJ and producer, often performing under the name DJ Big Driis. His career reflects a commitment to diverse storytelling, creative experimentation, and cultural influence.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever